Fence-wire stretcher.



R. E. L. FREI-:85.

FENCE WIRE STRETCHEH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT' 1 9. 1916. 1,275,896 Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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ROBERT E. LEE FREIESE, OF FAYETTE, MISSGURI.

FENCE-WIRE STRETCHER.

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Application filed October 19, 1916. Serial No. 127,132.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. L. Fnnnsn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fayette, in the county of Howard and State of Missouri, have made an Improvement in Fence-Wire Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in the class of wire stretchers in which a winding drum or windlass and wire rope are employed in connection with means for attachment of the apparatus to a post or treetrunk.

The details of construction, arrangement and operation of the parts composing the invention are as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, and,

Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved structure.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the pivot end of the lever 8.

The frame of the apparatus comprises a tubular body 13 having angular lateral eX- tension 14;. A rectangular bar 3 is adapted to slide freely in such body 13, and is of greater length so that it projects at each end thereof.

@ne end of said bar has a rigid alined strap extension 5, to whose outer extremity an eye 38 is attached to provide for detachable connection of block and tackle. The opposite end 6 of the slide bar 3 is forked to form a jaw adapted to engage a fencepost (not shown).

Another jaw 47 having a curved shank 10 is pivoted between parallel ears or lugs 18, which form a rigid and permanent attachment of one end of the angular frame extension 14. Both jaws 6 and 17 are roughened or toothed to enable them to take a firm grip of a fence-post. I-Ioles 20 are provided in the ears 18 and the hole 46 in the jaw shank 10 for insertion of a stop-pin (not shown).

The slidahle bar has a shallow lengthwise groove 7, whose bottom is provided with ratchet teeth. A lever 8 is pivoted on the side of the hollow body 13 between the parallel ears 22, and it-s pivot end 39 is constructed with a prong or dog 8a adapted to engage the ratchet teeth for a purpose hereinafter stated. A loop 23 is hinged to the body 13 and is adapted to swing over the nose of Specification of Letters Patent.

lever 8. Its function is to hold the lever in place against the body 13, when the apparatus is not in use. A small chain 25a is provided for engagement with a prong 25 on the free end of the lever 8, to hold the latter locked in position when engaged with the ratchet bar 3. When not in use, the chain 25EL may be wrapped around the loop 24.

rIhe function of the lever 8 and its dog which engages the ratchet of the slidable bar 23, is to force the jaw 6 into firm engagement with the post, or in other words to cause the two jaws to take and hold a firm grip on the post, and when this has been effected, the chain 25a is wrapped around the loop 24: to keep the lever duly locked with the ratchet.

In the frame of the apparatus, there is journaled a windlass 28 on whose outer end are mounted a cog gear 31 and ratchet wheel 33 with which a pivoted pawl 311 engages. The said gear meshes with a pinion 29, mounted on a shaft 30 and having a hand crank on its outer end, as shown.

Block and tackle are provided as shown, one block being attached to the eye 38 at the extremity of the ratchet bar attachment 5, and the other block has a wire gripper l1. A wire rope is rove through the two blocks and its respective ends are attached to the windlass and one of the blocks, as shown.

It is apparent that the jaws 6 and 17 having been applied to a post, and the lever 8 duly manipulated to cause them to grip the latter firmly, and the block and tackle having been duly engaged with the frame and the wire to be stretched, the crank is rotated, whereby the rope is wound on the windlass, thereby drawing the wire past the post and stretching it to the desired tension. I thus provide a wire fence-stretcher of simple and inexpensive construction, and which may be eHiciently operated for its purpose.

I claim In a fence wire-stretcher of the type` described the combination with a tubular body, and a ratchet bar adapted to slide therein, of a lever pivoted to said body and having a pivoted feed and locking dog engaging the ratchet proper, and means attached to the body and adapted for engaging the free end of the lever, as and for the purpose specified.

ROBERT E. LEE FREESE.

topics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Waahingtom D. G. 

